Syria in Ruins - in Focus - the Atlantic

While much recent media attention has been focused on Hurricane Sandy and America’s presidential election, Syria’s horrific civil war continues. In some places, it has worsened. Aerial bombardment of civilian neighborhoods, deadly sniper fire, brutal street fighting, assassinations, and summary executions have become the norm in Syria. Cease-fire agreements have collapsed, rebel forces remain disorganized, foreign intervention is still hamstrung, and no path to peace appears to be forming yet. Britain is now reportedly looking for options to circumvent an arms embargo in order to supply rebels with weaponry. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains defiant, stating in an interview with Russia Today that he planned “live and die in Syria,” adding, “I am tougher than Gaddafi.” Collected here are images of this bloody conflict from just the past few weeks. [48 photos]

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Assad: ‘I Have to Live in Syria and Die in Syria’

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad issued a stark warning Thursday to Western countries that may be thinking of intervening militarily in the bloody conflict that has devastated the country for nearly 20 months.

“I think the price of this invasion, if it happened, is going too big, more than the whole world can afford,” Assad said in an interview with the Russia Today news channel. “We are the last stronghold of secularism and stability in the region and coexistence. . . . It will have a domino effect that will affect the world from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and you know the implication on the rest of the world.”

He also added, “I don’t think the West is going in that regard, but if they do so, nobody can tell what’s next.”

A brief video clip and transcript of the interview were posted on the Russia Today Web site Thursday, and the channel will air the full interview Friday.

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